our androcentric culture-第15部分

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more　clearly　shown　than　in　the　general　deification　of　what　are　now
described　as　〃conflict　stimuli。〃　　That　which　is　true　of　the　male
creature　as　such　is　assumed　to　be　true　of　life　in　general；　quite
naturally；　but　by　no　means　correctly。　　To　this　universal　masculine　error
we　may　trace　in　the　field　of　religion　and　ethics　the　great　devil　theory；
which　has　for　so　long　obscured　our　minds。　　A　God　without　an　Adversary
was　inconceivable　to　the　masculine　mind。　　From　this　basic　misconception
we　find　all　our　ideas　of　ethics　distorted；　that　which　should　have　been
treated　as　a　group　of　truths　to　be　learned　and　habits　to　be　cultivated
was　treated　in　terms　of　combat；　and　moral　growth　made　an　everlasting
battle。　　This　combat　theory　we　may　follow　later　into　our　common　notions
of　discipline；　government；　law　and　punishment；　here　is　it　enough　to　see
its　painful　effects　in　this　primary　field　of　ethics　and　religion？

The　third　essential　male　trait　of　self…expression　we　may　follow　from　its
innocent　natural　form　in　strutting　cock　or　stamping　stag　up　to　the
characteristics　we　label　vanity　and　pride。　　The　degradation　of　women　in
forcing　them　to　adopt　masculine　methods　of　personal　decoration　as　a
means　of　livelihood；　has　carried　with　the　concomitant　of　personal
vanity：　but　to　this　day　and　at　their　worst　we　do　not　find　in　women　the
_naive_　exultant　glow　of　pride　which　swells　the　bosom　of　the　men　who
march　in　procession　with　brass　bands；　in　full　regalia　of　any　sort；　so
that　it　be　gorgeous；　exhibiting　their　glories　to　all。

It　is　this　purely　masculine　spirit　which　has　given　to　our　early　concepts
of　Deity　the　unadmirable　qualities　of　boundless　pride　and　a　thirst　for
constant　praise　and　prostrate　admiration；　characteristics　certainly
unbefitting　any　noble　idea　of　God。　　Desire；　combat　and　self…expression
all　have　had　their　unavoidable　influence　on　masculine　religions。　　What
deified　Maternity　a　purely　feminine　culture　might　have　put　forth　we　do
not　know；　having　had　none　such。　　Women　are　generally　credited　with　as
much　moral　sense　as　men；　and　as　much　religious　instinct；　but　so　far　it
has　had　small　power　to　modify　our　prevailing　creeds。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　no　special　sex　attributes　should　have　any　weight　in
our　ideas　of　right　and　wrong。　　Ethics　and　religion　are　distinctly　human
concerns；　they　belong　to　us　as　social　factors；　not　as　physical　ones。　　As
we　learn　to　recognize　our　humanness；　and　to　leave　our　sex
characteristics　where　they　belong；　we　shall　at　last　learn　something
about　ethics　as　a　simple　and　practical　science；　and　see　that　religions
grow　as　the　mind　grows　to　formulate　them。

If　anyone　seeks　for　a　clear；　simple；　easily　grasped　proof　of　our　ethics；
it　is　to　be　found　in　a　popular　proverb。　　Struggling　upward　from　beast
and　savage　into　humanness；　man　has　seen；　reverenced；　and　striven　to
attain　various　human　virtues。

He　was　willing　to　check　many　primitive　impulses；　to　change　many
barbarous　habits；　to　manifest　newer；　nobler　powers。　　Much　he　would
concede　to　Humanness；　but　not　his　sexthat　was　beyond　the　range　of
Ethics　or　Religion。　　By　the　state　of　what　he　calls　〃morals；〃　and　the
laws　he　makes　to　regulate　them；　by　his　attitude　in　courtship　and　in
marriage；　and　by　the　gross　anomaly　of　militarism；　in　all　its　senseless
waste　of　life　and　wealth　and　joy；　we　may　perceive　this　little　masculine
exception：

〃All's　fair　in　love　and　war。〃



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


VIII。

EDUCATION。


The　origin　of　education　is　maternal。　　The　mother　animal　is　seen　to　teach
her　young　what　she　knows　of　life；　its　gains　and　losses；　and；　whether
consciously　done　or　not；　this　is　education。　　In　our　human　life；
education；　even　in　its　present　state；　is　the　most　important　process。　
Without　it　we　could　not　maintain　ourselves；　much　less　dominate　and
improve　conditions　as　we　do；　and　when　education　is　what　it　should　be；
our　power　will　increase　far　beyond　present　hopes。

In　lower　animals；　speaking　generally；　the　powers　of　the　race　must　be
lodged　in　each　individual。　　No　gain　of　personal　experience　is　of　avail
to　the　others。　　No　advantages　remain；　save　those　physically　transmitted。
　The　narrow　limits　of　personal　gain　and　personal　inheritance　rigidly　hem
in　sub…human　progress。　　With　us；　what　one　learns　may　be　taught　to　the
others。　　Our　life　is　social；　collective。　　Our　gain　is　for　all；　and
profits　us　in　proportion　as　we　extend　it　to　all。　　As　the　human　soul
develops　in　us；　we　become　able　to　grasp　more　fully　our　common　needs　and
advantages；　and　with　this　growth　has　come　the　extension　of　education　to
the　people　as　a　whole。　　Social　functions　are　developed　under　natural
laws；　like　physical　ones；　and　may　be　studied　similarly。

In　the　evolution　of　this　basic　social　function；　what　has　been　the　effect
of　wholly　masculine　influence？

The　original　process；　instruction　of　individual　child　by　individual
mother；　has　been　largely　neglected　in　our　man…made　world。　　That　was
considered　as　a　subsidiary　sex…function　of　the　woman；　and　as　such；　left
to　her　〃instinct。〃　　This　is　the　main　reason　why　we　show　such　great
progress　in　education　for　older　children；　and　especially　for　youths；　and
so　little　comparatively　in　that　given　to　little　ones。

We　have　had　on　the　one　side　the　natural　current　of　maternal　education；
with　its　first　assistant；　the　nursemaid；　and　its　second；　the
〃dame…school〃；　and　on　the　other　the　influence　of　the　dominant　class；
organized　in　university；　college；　and　public　school；　slowly　filtering
downward。

Educational　forces　are　many。　　The　child　is　born　into　certain　conditions；
physical　and　psychic；　and　〃educated〃　thereby。　　He　grows　up　into　social；
political　and　economic　conditions；　and　is　further　modified　by　them。　　All
these　conditions；　so　far；　have　been　of　androcentric　character；　but　what
we　call　education　as　a　special　social　process　is　what　the　child　is
deliberately　taught　and　subjected　to；　and　it　is　here　we　may　see　the　same
dominant　influence　so　clearly。

This　conscious　education　was；　for　long；　given　to　boys　alone；　the　girls
being　left　to　maternal　influence；　each　to　learn　what　her　mother　knew；
and　no　more。　　This　very　clear　instance　of　the　masculine　theory　is
glaring　enough　by　itself　to　rest　a　case　on。　　It　shows　how　absolute　was
the　assumption　that　the　world　was　composed　of　men；　and　men　alone　were　to
be　fitted　for　it。　　Women　were　no　part　of　the　world；　and　needed　no
training　for　its　uses。　　As　females　they　were　born　and　not　made；　as　human
beings　they　were　only　servants；　trained　as　such　by　their　servant
mothers。

This　system　of　education　we　are　outgrowing　more　swiftly　with　each　year。　
The　growing　humanness　of　women；　and　its　recognition；　is　forcing　an　equal
education　for　boy　and　girl。　　When　this　demand　was　first　made；　by　women
of　unusual　calibre；　and　by　men　sufficiently　human　to　overlook
sex…prejudice；　how　was　it　met？　　What　was　the　attitude　of　woman's
〃natural　protector〃　when　she　began　to　ask　some　share　in　human　life？

Under　the　universal　assumption　that　men　alone　were　humanity；　that　the
world　was　masculine　and　for　men　only；　the　efforts　of　the　women　were　met
as　a　deliberate　attempt　to　〃unsex〃　themselves　and　become　men。　　To　be　a
woman　was　to　be　ignorant；　uneducated；　to　be　wise；　educated；　was　to　be　a
man。　　Women　were　not　men；　visibly；　therefore　they　could　not　be　educated；
and　ought　not　to　want　to　be。

Under　this　androcentric　prejudice；　the　equal　extension　of　education　to
women　was　opposed　at　every　step；　and　is　still　opposed　by　many。　　Seeing
in　women　only　sex；　and　not　humanness；　they　would　confine　her　exclusively
to　feminine　interests。　　This　is　the　masculine　view；　_par　excellence_。　
In　spite　of　it；　the　human　development　of　women；　which　so　splendidly
characterizes　our　age；　has　gone　on；　and　now　both　woman's　colleges　and
those　for　both　sexes　offer　〃the　higher　education〃　to　our　girls；　as　well
as　the　lower　grades　in　school　and　kindergarten。

In　the　special　professional　training；　the　same　opposition　was
experienced；　even　more　rancorous　and　cruel。　　One　would　think　that　on　the
entrance　of　a　few　straggling　and　necessarily　inferior　feminine　beginners
into　a　trade　or　profession；　those　in　possession　would　extend　to　them　the
right　hand　of　fellowship；　as　comrades；　extra　assistance　as　beginners；
and　special　courtesy　as　women。

The　contrary　occurred。　　Women　were　barred　out；　discriminated　against；
taken　advantage　of；　as　competitors；　and　as　women　they　have　had　to　meet
special　danger　and　offence　instead　of　special　courtesy。　　An
unforgettable　instance　of　this　lies　in　the　attitude　of　the　medical
colleges　toward　women　students。　　The　men；　strong　enough；　one　would
think；　in　numbers；　in　knowledge；　in　established　precedent；　to　be
generous；　opposed　the　newcomers　first　with　absolute　refusal；　then；　when
the　patient；　persistent　applicants　did　get　inside；　both　students　and
teachers　met　them　not　only　with　unkindness　and　unfairness；　but　with　a
weapon　ingeniously　well　chosen；　and　most　discreditablenamely；
obscenity。　　Grave　professors；　in　lecture　and　clinic；　as　well　as　grinning
students；　used　offensive　language；　and　played　offensive　tricks；　to　drive
the　women　outa　most　androcentric　performance。

Remember　that　the　essential　masculine　attitude　is　one　of　opposition；　of
combat；　h